Leg rest control mechanism for seating units



9 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,

LEG REST CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SEATING UNITS Filed June 8. 1956 n s Sheets-Sheet 1 1 1 -3. 'INVENTOR. Fridijof F. Schliephocke.

ATTORNEY 'S Feb. 3, 1959 Filed Jufne 8. 1956 F. F. SCHLI EPHACKE 2,871,917

LEG REST CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SEATING UNITS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FridtjofESchliephocke.

A TTORNEY S Feb. 3, 1959 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE I 2, 7

LEG REST CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SEATING UNITS Filed June 8. 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. FridtjofFSchliephocke.

%omvyM ATTORNEY'S LEG REST CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SEATING UNITS Fridtiof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Dahlein, Germany, as signer to Anton Lorenz, Greenwich, Conn.

Application June 8, 1956, Serial No. 590,279

6 Claims. (Cl. 155106) This invention relates to an article of furniture comprising a chair or seat which may be used in an upright sitting.

position or in which the occupant may, by leaning backward, cause the chair to assume a more or less reclining position. The chair is also provided with a leg rest which as the occupant leans backward will be automatically raised and moved forward of the seat so as to properly support the legs of the reclining occupant in a raised position.

The objects of the invention are to provide a construc tion for the purposes described which is strong and smooth in operation and in which the leg rest will be moved to the most comfortable position with respect to the position assumed by the occupant. The construction permits the leg rest, seat and back to be moved in the ratio found to be most advantageous so that the leg rest is in the best position for each change in angle of the back rest and seat. I

In the accompanying drawings which show certain preferred embodiments of the invention by way of illustrating the principles thereof,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of chair in an upright or sitting position;

Fig. 2 is a partial view in side elevation showing the position of the parts when the chair is in a partly reclining position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the chair in full reclining'position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the leg rest extended as in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevational views showing a modified construction of the chair in upright and reclining positions, respectively;

Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevational views of another form of invention showing the chair in upright and tilted positions, respectively, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a part of the linkage shown in Figs. 7 and 8..

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the chair comprises a fixed frame 20 having side members 22, legs 24 and 26 and armrests 23. A back rest 36 is pivoted to the frame at points 52 while 34 is a seat which is shown as mounted on seat irons 36 which are also pivoted at points 32. Obviously the seat and back rest pivots need not coincide. Mechanism is provided for tilting the forward end of the seat upward when the back rest is tilted back. A ratio which is usually found desirable is for the seat to be tilted at one-half the angle that the back rest is tilted but, of course, this can be varied as desired. For tilting the seat when the back rest is tilted, the back-rest is provided with an extension below the pivot points 32 and at the lower end of this extension at points 38 are connected drive links iii. These links ar connected at 42 to guide plates 44 which are pivoted at 46 to brackets 48 mounted on the frame members 22 of the chair base. Guide links 56 are pivoted at 52 to the guide plates 44 and at 54 to brackets on the seat. A construction of this naatent 2,3?1317 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 pivoted to the plates 44 at points 66. The links 64 in the present instance are shown as of composite construction and comprise the link bars 68 to which are fixed a filler plate or board 70 which extends transversely of the link bars and in efiect forms a part of the link connection between the leg rest and the guide plates. This plate 70 also acts as a cover plate when the leg rest is extended so as to partially conceal the linkage. The leg rest also carries on its under surface lugs 72 to which are pivoted links 74. Bent links 76 are also provided which are pivoted at points 78 to the side frames of the chair seat. These links 76 cross links 64 and are pivoted thereto at points 80. The arms of the links 76 which extend beyond the pivot points 80 are provided with slots 82 in which are slidingly mounted pivot studs 84 which are attached to the free ends of links 74.

When the chair is in the upright sitting position, the leg rest is out of the way as shown in Fig. 1. In this position the studs 84 move up in the slots 82. Upon moving the parts to the reclining position, the studs would tend to slide loosely in the slots and the leg rest would not be properly moved to an extended position unless an additional connection was provided for this purpose. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the raising of the leg rest is accomplished by means of actuating links 9%] which are pivoted on the studs 84 and at their other ends are pivoted at points 92 to the links 64, the points 92 being located between the pivot points 80 and 62. With this linkage the leg rest is moved into the desired more or less horizontal position for supporting the legs of the user as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Figures 5 and 6 show a construction generally similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In this construction the links 64a are pivoted to brackets on the leg rest 600 at points 102, the other ends of the links 64a being pivoted to the plates 44 at 66. In this construction no cover plate corresponding to the plate '70 is shown. The bent links 76a are connected to the sides of the chair seat and are pivoted to the links 64a at points 8011. The ends of the links 76a are also provided with slots 82a. The links 74a which carry the studs 84a sliding in the slots 82a are in this construction not pivoted to the leg rest 60a but are rigidly attached thereto and held against angular movement with respect thereto by means of a rigid brace or block 106. In this construction no operating link corresponding to the link is required.

Figs. 7, '8 and 9 show a chair construction in which the back rest 36b and seat 34b constitute a rigid back and seat unit which, however, is mounted so that the unit may be tilted into a more or less reclining position as shown in Fig. 8. Any convenient known construction for mounting such a unit may be provided. In the form shown the seat has brackets 109 projecting from the rear portion thereof to which are pivoted links 110 which are pivoted at 112 to bracketslld mounted on the chair base 20b The seat also carries brackets 116 towards the front thereof which are pivoted at 118 to guide links 120, the lower ends of which are pivoted at 122 to a part of the chair base. When the occupant of the chair desires to lean back, all he has'to do is throw his weight in such a way as to swing the chair back to a position such as shown in Fig. 8. A step 124 is preferably provided which is engaged by the lower ends of links 110 to limit the extent of permissible tilting of the seating unit. The chair is shown as provided with a leg rest 6% similar to the one shown in Figs. 1 to 4 which is pivoted at 62 to a cover plate 79b. The latter is fixed to the link members 68b so as to constitute with such members a rigid link element. This link element is connected at the lower ends of the link members 68b, at points 126, to power transmitting levers 328 which are of bent shape and are pivoted at 13th to brackets 132 mounted on the stationary chair frame. The bent ends of the levers 128 are pivoted at 134 to drive links 136 which are pivoted at 138 to the rear seat supporting links 110 and brackets 3109. Bent links 76b are provided which are pivoted to the seat at points 7812 and where they cross the link members 719b- 6811 they are pivoted thereto at points 86b. The forward ends of the link members 76!) are slotted at 82b and in the slots work studs 84b which are carried by links. 74 pivoted to brackets 72 on the underside of the leg rest 60. In this construction operating links 9% are provided which are pivoted to the studsfib and to brackets on the underside of plate 70b at points 92b. With this construction when the seating unit is tilted, a pull is put on the links 136 which swings the levers 123 about their pivots 130 thus pushing out the links 6812 and projecting the leg rest member into th advanced and more or less horizontal position shown in Fig. 8.

It is understood that certain parts, elements or mechanisms shown in a certain figure may be substituted for corresponding parts, elements, or mechanisms of the embodiments shown in other figures of the drawings.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a reclining article of furniture, a frame, a seat and and a back rest pivotally mounted on the frame, a lever pivotally mounted on the frame, a drive link connecting the back rest to said'lever, a link connecting said lever to the seat to tilt the same when the back rest is swung backward, a leg rest, a first leg rest link pivoted to the forward part of the seat, said link having a longitudinal slot on the outer part thereof, a second leg rest link at tached to the leg rest and carrying a pin slidably mounted in said slot, a third leg rest link pivoted to the leg rest at one end and to the lever mounted on the frame at the other end, said first and third named links crossing each other and being pivoted at the point of crossing and a fourth link connected to the second link, the other end of said fourth link being pivoted to the third link at a point between the pivotal connection of said link to said leg rest, and the pivotal connection at the crossing point of said first and third links.

2. In a reclining article of furniture, a frame, seating eelments movably mounted on said frame for movement to a reclining position, a lever fulcrumed on said frame, operative connections between said movable seating elernents and said lever, a leg rest, a first link pivoted to the forward part of the seating elements, said link having a longitudinal slot in the outer part thereof, a second link pivoted at one end to the leg rest at a point spaced forward of the rear edge thereof, and having a pin at its outer end working in said slot, a third link pivoted at one end to said leg rest at a point nearer to the rear edge thereof than the point of connection thereto of said second link, and at its other end to the lever fulcrumed on the frame, said first and third links crossing each other, and being pivoted at their point of crossing, and a fourth link connected to the second link, the other end of said fourth link being pivoted to the third link at a point between the pivotal connection of said link to said leg rest, and the pivotal connection at the crossing point of said first and third links.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the third link carries a filler plate spanning at least a part of the space between the rear edge of the leg rest and the front of the seat when the leg rest is in raised position.

A construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the seating elements comprise a unitary seat and back rest and front and rear supporting links therefore pivoted on the frame, and said operative connections including a drive link Connecting, a rear seat supporting link with the lever fulcrumed on the frame.

5. A construction as claimed in claim 4 in which the lever has a long arm pivoted to said third leg rest supporting link, and a short arm at an angle thereto to which The drive link is connected, the fulcrum point of the lever being atthe angle of the lever.

6. In a reclining article of furniture, a frame, seating elements movably mounted on said frame for movement to a reclining position, levers fulcrumed on said frame, operative connections between said movable seating elements and said levers, a leg rest, first links pivoted to the forward part of the seating elements, said links having longitudinal slots in the outer parts thereof, second links pivoted at one end to the leg rest at points spaced forward of the rear edge thereof, and having pins at their outer ends working in said slots, third links pivoted at one end to said leg rest at points nearer to the rear edges thereof than the points of connection thereto of said second links, and at their other ends to the levers fulcrumed on the frame, said first and third links crossing each other, and being pivoted at their points of crossing, fourth links connected to the second links, the free ends of said fourth links being pivoted to the third links at points between the pivotal connections of said links to said leg rest and the pivotal connections at the crossing, points of said first and third links, and a filler plate fixed to said third links substantially in line therewith and movable from a retracted position when the leg rest is retracted to a position at least partly spanning the space between the rear edge of the leg rest and the front of the seat when the leg rest is projected.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,357 Belisle Dec. 22, 1953 2,664,942 Spear Jan. 5, 1954 2,672,919 Luckhardt Mar. 23, 1954 2,781,825 Lorenz Feb. 19, 1957 2,782,836 Krakauer Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,042 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1952 769,643 Great Britain Mar. 13, 1957 

